Possible Hepatitis A Infection of Diners and Employees

Rockland County Health Department has warned the employees and the diners of La Fontana restaurant, Nyack NY, of hepatitis A infection. An employee who is a food handler at the restaurant has been detected with liver infection.

La Fontana restaurant, Nyack NY(Photo: The Journal News)

The health Department issued a statement that the customers who visited the restaurant between March 19th and April 1st are likely to have caught the infection. They have been requested to undergo tests. Further, the customer who ate in the restaurant between March 29th and April 1st has been requested to take a Hepatitis A vaccine shot. However, those who had visited the restaurant between March 19th and March 28th will have to undergo the tests and vaccination will not be beneficial as the vaccination is only effective in the 1st 14 days after exposure.

The Hepatitis A virus affects the liver and is considered to be a contagious as per the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention. The illness depends upon the severity of the virus infection which can last between mild and severe with the patient undergoing treatment between few weeks to a few months.

As per the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Hepatitis A spreads through injection of faecal matter, which could be food or drink that has been contaminated with the stools of an infected person. Vaccination in infected person will reduce the severity of the disease if taken within less than 14 days of exposure. A statement from Disease Control and Prevention informed that when there is a hepatitis A breakout, symptoms like loss of appetite, dark urine, vomiting or nausea, fever and abdominal pain should be looked out for. It also further added that, the disease can be controlled from spreading through proper hygiene like washing hands thoroughly after using a public restroom, changing diapers and handling food or preparing food before and after. 20 seconds vigorous washing and soaping of hand specifically between fingers and under fingernails is important to ward off the infection